A Secret to Keep (20 page)

“Sloane cut the guy some slack would you? He’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar company for crying out loud. He can’t just play hooky every day. He has to do what he has to do to run his company. What do you want him to do, never answer his phone?” Liyah stopped her pacing to stare at Sloane.

“No Liyah. I know he has to work. It’s just, I know what it’s like to look forward to spending time with him only to be cancelled on because something more important comes up. I don’t want that to happen to Brayden.”

“Well, you better work up the nerve to tell him, and soon. If he wants to keep in touch with you now, it’s only a matter of time before the truth about you and Chase, and also the truth about Brayden, comes out. Then you’re going to be in a pickle.”

“I know.” Looking at the angelic face of her little boy in the photo on her desk, Sloane exhaled softly, knowing she was sinking deeper and deeper into the hole she’d dug.

###

“Why in the hell are you in such a good mood lately?” Evan and Gates had finished up a lunch meeting and were on their way back to the office.

“What’re you talking about?” He knew exactly what Evan was referring to. It had been a little over a week since Sloane visited New York and Gates had talked to her practically every other day since then. They laughed and chatted with one another and it honestly felt like they’d never been apart.

“You’ve been in a mood since Sloane was here a few weeks ago.” Evan paused, watching Gates’ smile grow bigger and he raised an eyebrow at his best friend. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were scamming on Chase’s woman.”

“Whatever.” Gates chuckled, entering his office, followed by Evan. “If I recall, she was ‘my woman’ first, but that’s not what’s going on.”

“I’m calling it like I see it. You two are keeping in touch aren’t you?”

“Look, Sloane and I are friends, nothing more. I respect the fact she’s marrying Chase. I haven’t done anything out of the way to give her any impression that I’m trying to get her back. I’m merely keeping in touch.” Gates wished he believed the lines he was feeding Evan, but he had to do something to remind himself Sloane did belong to someone else now.

“You can try and snow me if you want to, but I know you, Gates. And even though that’s not in your nature to go after someone else’s significant other, that’s exactly what you’re doing,” Evan laughed, walking towards the door. Stopping before he could exit entirely, he leaned back in and added, “I can’t blame you though. She’s still as beautiful as ever.” Evan winked before he shut the door.

Blowing out a deep breath, Gates sank back into his chair and swiveled to look out of the window. “She’s definitely that.”

###

“That picture of you and Brayden is priceless. Did you send one to Avery?” Liyah asked, watching Sloane feed the little monster. He was the cutest thing with big auburn curls on his head and plump cheeks and he was so independent that he was trying his best to grab the spoon each time she put it near his mouth.

“Yeah, I got the reporter to send me a copy so I forwarded it to her and she absolutely loved it.” Sloane giggled, wiping Brayden’s hands for the hundredth time. “You need to stop or we’re going to end up with food all over you rather than in you.”

“So, have you talked to Gates?” Liyah reached over and tickled the little boy under his chin and he burst into a fit of giggles.

“I talked to him yesterday. It’s strange, but it almost feels like it used to with him. We’re able to talk about all kinds of things and I almost forgot what a great sense of humor he has.”

“Uh oh, you got it bad.”

“What?” Sloane popped out of her dream-like state. “I do not. We’re friends and that’s how it’s going to stay.”

“You can’t keep this charade up Sloane. You have to tell him.” Liyah stood and took the baby out of his high chair to play with him while Sloane cleaned up his mess.

“I know and I will. It just has to be the right time.”

Waking up early, Gates went on his usual five-mile run and headed up to his penthouse, took a shower, got dressed and headed to the office. He’d talked to Sloane the previous evening and they got caught up talking into the wee hours of the morning. He still hadn’t quite figured out the relationship she had with Chase. It seemed like he was never around and Gates knew if he and Sloane were still together, there was
no way
he’d be okay with her staying up and talking to some other guy on the phone, especially if it was her ex-fiancé. And why didn’t she wear a ring? Trying his best to push her out of his mind and focus on the day’s tasks, he pushed open the heavy glass door of the reception area to McCall International and stopped to chat with the receptionist, Linda.

“Good morning, Mr. McCall.”

“Good morning, Lin.” She handed him a few files and things needing his approval and signature. “Wow, look at that smile. You’re in a good mood this morning.”

“Oh, I’m a really proud grandmother, that’s all.” Gates knew if the woman grinned any harder her face would break. He casually flipped through the stack of papers she handed to him, making mental notes of the most important things he needed to get done that day.

“Uh oh, sounds like the grandkids are doing big things. Which one broke a record this time?” It never failed that Linda always had something to be proud of her grandkids for. They ranged in age from four to sixteen and it seemed all of them were really well rounded kids. Two were in karate already pursuing black belts at eleven and twelve, and the sixteen year old was a football star at his high school.

“It’s actually nothing of the sort. Allen, the youngest, is highly photogenic. He lives in North Carolina, actually in Wilmington where the Reyes Foundation is building that hospital. He and a few of his friends were playing in the front yard, in the sprinklers, and a photographer took his picture.” She proudly held the newspaper up for him to see.

“Sounds like fun.” Gates reached for the newspaper she handed him. “That has to be a perfect way for a four-year old to spend his time. Nothing seems better than running through sprinklers on a hot summer day.”

“He’s adorable and the picture was too sweet for words. My son sent it to me.”

Gates opened the newspaper to the photos. The headline read ‘Summertime Fun’, and beneath it were pictures of various people enjoying the summer. There were little kids with ice cream melting down their arms, a few playing softball, and a picture of a championship little league baseball team, with a trophy that dwarfed most of the children in the picture. Linda’s grandson’s picture was in the middle of the collage. In the caption was his name and age, and the ages and names of the other kids playing in the sprinklers. As Gates was about to fold the paper and give it back to Linda another one of the pictures caught his eye. There on the right side of the photo of Linda’s grandson, was a picture of a little boy smiling and sitting in a stroller as his mom pushed him. The caption read,
“Nine month old Brayden Davis enjoys the ride as his mother, Sloane, pushes him through Riverfront Park.”
Suddenly, Gates felt his chest constrict and
he nearly lost the ability to breathe.

As quickly as he’d walked in that morning his entire demeanor changed and he searched for the newspaper dateline to ascertain that it was a recent edition of the
Star-News
from Wilmington, North Carolina before handing it back to Linda.

“The summer is full of fun things and I think every kid in Wilmington is having a ball,” Linda continued, looking at the pictures and waiting for Gates to respond. Slowly, she looked up to see a sullen expression on his face. “Gates?” He was no longer smiling and his eyes had grown intense.

“Linda, I have something I need to take care of. Have Angelica handle these, and my ten o’clock. I won’t be back today.” He handed her the files she’d given him and turned to walk towards the glass doors.

“Uh, okay. Is everything all right?” She watched him as she folded the paper and put it on her desk and stacked the files for Angelica to pick up on her way into the office.

“No, but it will be.”

Gates pushed the heavy door open and headed for the elevator. He tried desperately to calm himself down because right now he was so angry he could barely see straight. Once the elevator reached the garage floor, he marched to his car and got in the driver’s seat. Shutting the car door, he sat for a brief moment, stewing in silence. She’d lied to him. It was clear from the photo Brayden was a lot older than she’d led him to believe and if that was the case, then it only meant one thing. She’d been cheating on him while they were together and that’s the reason she left. Angelica said it was pretty quick for her to move on and he’d agreed, but pushed it out of his mind. Now it all made sense. All this time, he thought she left because of the rumors he was cheating on her and that he was putting his business before her. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought she would betray him. That’s why she left him and why she couldn’t face him at his father’s funeral. She’d put all the blame on him and it was just to keep her secret. She’d gotten pregnant while she was with him and it was Chase’s kid. No wonder they had such a relaxed relationship. It made perfect sense.
How could I have been so blind?
Somehow she’d met Chase while they were in New York and she’d gotten pregnant. Scrubbing his face with his hands, Gates started the car and headed straight for the airport.

###

“Linda, good morning.” Evan breezed past the reception desk headed towards Gates’ office.

“Good morning, Evan. Oh, he’s not in there.”

“Is he running late or something? He didn’t tell me he wasn’t coming in this morning.” Evan did an about face and headed back to Linda’s desk.

“He was here earlier. He came in all happy and smiling and we talked, and he looked at the picture of my grandson in the paper and then the oddest thing happened.”

“What do you mean the ‘oddest thing happened’?” Evan rested his arms on the counter and waited for Linda to continue.

“Well, we were talking about my grandson’s picture in the newspaper that my son sent from Wilmington. That quickly, his demeanor changed and he had me have Angelica handle his meetings this morning.”

“Lin, can I see the paper you’re talking about?”

“I have no idea what spooked him, but it was like he’d seen a ghost or something. It was so strange how he went from happy to; I don’t know what, in a matter of seconds.” Linda handed Evan the folded paper as he requested. “I asked him if everything was okay. He said no, but it would be.”

Scanning the photos quickly, Evan found the picture of Linda’s grandson and then noticed the photo beside it. There, staring back at him was a picture of Sloane pushing a little boy through the park, and according to the newspaper; he was nine months old.
Oh crap.

“Uh, Linda, did Gates say where he was going?” Evan folded the newspaper and handed it back to Linda.

“Well, no. He left about an hour ago. All he said was he had something to take care of. Evan, is everything okay?”

“Oh yeah, Linda, it’s nothing to worry about. I’ll see you later okay?” Rushing down the hallway to his office, Evan pulled his phone from his pocket. Gates had a head start on him. Evan dialed and swore when he heard the voicemail pick up. “Come on Gates, answer.” Quickly hanging up without leaving a message, Evan dialed another number and swore again when he reached yet another voicemail.

“Dammit, Liyah, if you don’t know where Sloane is, I suggest you find her, especially before Gates does.”

###

“I need to speak with Aliyah Cross please.” Standing in front of the receptionist at the Reyes Foundation, Gates grit his teeth. He was trying his best to keep his cool, but it was getting harder with each passing minute.

“Mr. McCall, she’s in a meeting right now, but she should be out soon. Could I take a message for her or; if you’d like to wait-”

“Actually, I can leave her a note in her office. Would that be okay?”

“Oh, sure. It’s down the hallway; take a right, second door on the left.”

“Thanks.” Gates moved swiftly down the hallway to Liyah’s office. He’d called on his way to North Carolina only to find out from the receptionist that Sloane was out for the day. He’d tried her cell phone but it kept going straight to voicemail so he was going to try the next best thing. Liyah.

Walking into her office, Gates looked around for anything that may give him some clue as to how to locate Sloane. Just then he heard a buzz come from her desk. Looking over, he noticed Liyah’s phone lighting up. He knew it wasn’t right, but he had to talk to Sloane and confront her. Picking up the phone, Gates scrolled through the contact list and found Sloane’s address. He scribbled the address on a post it note and gently placed the phone on the desk and walked out.

###

“Did you call Liyah?” Sloane looked across the patio table at Chase. She had asked him and Hannah to come over; extending the olive branch for the trouble and pain she’d caused them. Her lie had put a certain strain on their relationship and she was truly sorry for any trouble she’d brought to the two.

“Yes. Obviously she’s tired of me calling and texting her because she’s not answering anymore.” Chase sat back in the chair.